Aug 22, Colombo: The Sri Lankan government has installed five detectors across the island as part of an early warning system to detect a nuclear disaster in the event of a nuclear accident and alert the public.

Following India's decision to expand the Kudankulam nuclear plant on the South Indian coast, the Sri Lankan government has become concerned over a possible nuclear disaster due to the close proximity of the nuclear plant to Sri Lanka's Northern and North Western coastal areas.

The Power and Energy Ministry has initiated the measure to establish a nuclear accident early warning system by the Atomic Energy Authority (AEA) with the collaboration of Sri Lanka Navy and Disaster Management Centre (DMC).

The AEA, DMC and Sri Lanka Navy signed a tripartite agreement on the proposed warning system on June 28 this year.

With the help of the International Atomic Energy Authority (IAEA), the AEA is to set up eight early warning detectors along the coastal areas and one in inland.

The detectors are to be set up in the navy camps of coastal cities of Colombo in Western Province, Kalpitiya in North Western Province, Thalaimannar and Delft islet in the Northern Province, Trincomalee in the Eastern Province and in the inland city of Kandy in Central Province.

The IAEA has provided equipment worth 72,000 Euros to establish the system following a request made by the AEA.

The main control center of the early warning systems will operate from the Atomic Energy Authority building at Orugodawatte.

Atomic Energy Authority Senior Scientific Officer Anuruddha Jayalath has told the state-run TV that the early warning systems will pick up even the smallest amount of radiation from the nuclear plant in Southern India.